India to give credit facility to support farmers hit by cash clampdown

The government on Wednesday offered a credit line to support millions of farmers who have been left short of cash to buy seeds and fertilisers for their winter crops after its decision to cancel 500 and 1,000 rupee bank notes, reports Reuters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dropped a bombshell on Nov 8 by abolishing the bank notes as legal tender that accounted for 86 per cent of cash in circulation. The move was aimed at cracking down on the shadow economy but has brought India's cash economy to a virtual standstill.

It has also put in danger production of key commodities and hurt rural communities that were only just recovering after two years of drought.

In the latest step, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), a state-run lender, will provide 210 billion rupees ($3.07 billion) in farm credit to help the sowing of winter crops such as wheat, a top finance ministry official told reporters.

New Delhi also announced measures to boost digital transactions.

Shaktikanta Das, economic affairs secretary, said the loan would be disbursed through farm cooperatives.

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